[Star Wars Saga] Abstract Combat - Upperhand Tokens

[zakarntson]

Forget what I said in my earlier abstracted combat post. I've come up with something far more streamlined.

Here are the rules:

• The only combat positioning on the gaming table are groupings of characters. It would be best to use tokens or miniatures for this.
  
• If you attack a character within your group, it's a melee attack. If you attack a character outside of your group, you need to make a ranged attack.
  
• A group (or groups) can be considered unreachable. Draw a line separating unreachable groups. A character may never move across an unreachable line, with the only attack option being ranged.
  
• Before combat starts, the DM places Upperhand Tokens in a pool. The number of Upperhand tokens represents the highest number of combatants on the table on one side. For example, if four PCs face off against six enemies, there are six tokens.
  
• Whoever wins the surprise round, in order of initiative, takes an Upperhand Token. If nobody is surprised, the Tokens stay put.
  
• If you have one Upperhand Token, you receive a +2 to all attack rolls. If you have two or more Upperhand Tokens, you receive a +4.

The following existing rules require updating (plus one new combat action, Maneuver):

• Opportunity Attacks: If you provoke an opportunity attack, 1d6 opponents within the melee are allowed to attack. Which opponents are the GM's choice (for NPCs) or order of Initiative (for PCs). A PC can give up their opportunity attack to another within the same group (though each PC may still only make one attack).
  
• Charge, combat action: You move from one group to another without losing an Upperhand Token. Combat occurs as per the regular rules.
  
• Move, combat action: You move from one group into another. If any group your are in, before or after your move, contains opponents then you lose one Upperhand Token to the pool.
  
• Withdraw, combat action: You move out of a melee group and into your own one-character group without the loss of any Upperhand Tokens.
  
• Maneuver, Standard Action, new combat action: Remain in your own group and take one Upperhand Token. You take Upperhand Tokens first from the pool. If the pool is empty and you're in melee, you take an Upperhand Token from an opponent in your group. If the pool is empty and there are no opponents in your group, you can take Upperhand Tokens from any opponents not in melee. If there are still no Upperhand Tokens, this action is useless.
  
• Bantha Rush, feat: Remove target's Upperhand Token on a successful hit, putting it back in the pool.
  
• Far Shot, feat: +2 to ranged attacks, +5 to unreachable ranged attacks.
  
• Force Points: You can spend a Force Point to change a Maneuver action to a Move Action.

I'm sure it'd need some playtest tweaking, and considerations for talents and force powers, but there you have it.